Nothing But Faith
by CalvinHobbesGatsby
Summary: Uzma Al-Maleki, a Christian girl living in Egypt with her father and sister. They try to live in peace despite persecution from their Muslim neighbors. Eventually, they must flee to the United States where more challenges await them. However admits hardship and enemies, Uzma will also find love and comes to realize that in your darkest hour, you have nothing but faith.
1. Genesis

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE. THIS STORY IS INSPIRED BY THE PLIGHT OF COPTIC CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT AND THE HOPE THAT GOD WILL COME TO THEIR AID.**

 _Cairo, Egypt. July 22, 2018_

Uzma Al-Maleki was walking home from the marketplace after buying the food for that week. Normally, her father would be the only one to leave the house, considering that seven out of ten Christian girls who walked the streets of Cairo alone would be kidnapped, beaten, raped, forced to convert to Islam, and forced into a marriage. In that order. However, it simply couldn't be helped. Uzma's father worked at a local factory for long hours with little pay and her younger sister: Suma, was too young to go out alone. So, the burden fell on Uzma to go to the market to buy whatever the family needed, whether it be clothes or food or whatever. As Uzma walked through the streets, people couldn't help but steal a glance. She was extremely pretty. She had long flowing hair, beautiful tanned skin, and a sweet set of chocolate brown eyes. As she walked home, she saw a group of Muslim men sexually harassing a Christian girl that Uzma had talked to before at church. Her name was Amina Assad. She had been raised with a single mother who raised her in the faith of Islam. When she was 17, she had met another girl named Sarah, who was a Coptic Christian. Despite their different faiths, the two girls became friends and despite the risk, Sarah shared her faith with Amina. Amina realized the truth of the love of Jesus Christ and when she turned 18, she converted to Christianity. Uzma had been there the day she had been baptized into the Coptic church. Amina had referred to it as the happiest days of her life,so far.

"I feel like a whole new person, Uzma." Amina said after the ceremony. That was the day that Uzma and Amina became friends. Over the next couple of years, the two girls had become close. Not as close as Uzma was with her sister Suma, but still pretty close. It pained Uzma to see her friend having to suffer so, but she dared not try and aid her. If she tried to break up the group, they would most likely turn on her. Then who would care for her sister and father? With a heavy heart, Uzma offered up a prayer to God that Amina would get out of this attack in one piece and then, sadly went on her way.

* * *

After what almost anyone would consider to be an exceptionally long walk, Uzma finally made it back to the house she shared with her father and sister. It was a rather plain house, plain but nice. As she walked inside, she saw her sister Suma, reading from her Arabic bible. She looked like a smaller and as she thought, more plain version of Uzma. The main difference was that Suma's hair was curly, whereas Uzma's hair was straight. With Uzma being 18 and Suma being 16, she felt that she was simply not as pretty as her older sister, although Uzma and their father tried to assure her that this was not the case.

"Guess who's back from the market?" Uzma asked as Suma looked up at her.

"Uzma!" Suma cried as she rushed up and hugged her older sister tightly. Uzma put the groceries on the table so that she could return the hug. "I was so afraid that I would never see you again!"

"It's all right, I always come back to you and _Ab*."_ Uzma replied as she kissed her sister on the forehead. "You don't have to worry all the time." Suma dried a tear from her eye.

'Didn't you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Aisha is dead." Suma explained as Uzma gasped. Aisha was another girl from their church and she was Suma's best friend. She had been born into a Coptic Christian family and had a deep love of the Lord.

"What happened?" Uzma asked as she sat down with her sister. Suma dried her eyes as she told Uzma the story she had heard.

"Aisha was walking through the streets alone when a group of Muslim boys came at her. They...demanded that she praise Allah in front of everyone, but she refused and insisted that Jesus was her Christ. Then...they stripped her naked...and then..." Suma could not continue, it was simply too horrible to put in to words. At that moment, Uzma and Suma gave thanks to God that they had not been forced to watch such an atrocity.

"Then what happened?" Uzma asked.

"Once they had...finished...they gave her a choice: convert to Islam or die." Suma continued. "Apparently, she told them that she was dead already. So they stomped on her until she died." Uzma cried for her sister's friend. She couldn't even imagine what Aisha had felt during her last hour of life. Or maybe, she just didn't want to. As Uzma and Suma began making supper in order to get their minds off these unpleasant things, their father came home.

" _Ab!"_ The girls cried as they rushed to greet their father. Basil Al-Maleki, the head of the household, was a strong man with grey hair on his head and a decent mustache. He was also a kind man who loved his daughters. He granted them far more freedom than most Arabic parents did, but he always made sure that he was their father and not their friend. He worked for a mining factory and his job was to load, move and break stones all day, every day.

"My beautiful daughters!" He exclaimed as he scooped them up in his arms. Seeing his daughters at the end of each day was what got Basil through the all the hard work he did to put food on the table. "How are you?" he asked.

"We're all right." Uzma replied as she set the table for dinner. "How was work?"

"It was hard, but I got through it, just like I do every day." He replied as every sat down to a hearty dinner of _Mulukhiyyah:_ A silmy green soup that didn't taste good unless it was cooked just right. It was an ancient Egyptian dish and it was the meal they had most often, since they could not afford anything extravagant.

"This _Mulukhiyyah_ is so delicious, Uzma." Suma said as she took a spoonful.

"No one but my eldest daughter can cook it so well." Basil added as Uzma blushed. "By the way, Hosni wanted me to tell you that he said hello. Suma blushed as Uzma gently teased her. Hosni was a local Coptic Christian boy who harbored a deep crush on Suma. He was only one year older than her. He and Suma had talked many times and they wanted to be with each other, but Basil forbade it. He had told Hosni that he was to wait until she was 17 to being courting her.

"How is he?" Suma asked.

"He got into a scuffle with a couple of Muslim boys, but he held his own." Basil replied as he took a swallow of soup. As they ate, Uzma wondered why the Muslims hated them so much, they had done nothing except attempt to worship Jesus in peace. Uzma thought things were bad now, but sadly, she had seen nothing yet.

 **NEXT TIME, CRAP HITS THE FAN FOR THE AL-MALEKI FAMILY. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	2. Exodus

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE. BTW, BECAUSE I FORGOT TO CLARIFY IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, AB MEANS PAPA IN ARABIC.**

It was about a week and a half later that everything changed for the Al-Maleki family. The day that it happened started off like any other day. Uzma and Suma had stayed home, done their chores, prepared the meals. Uzma had watched her sister, leaving her alone only for a short period so she could buy the groceries. It was there that she'd gotten a taste of the storm that was coming her way. She was paying for the groceries as she always did on the day of the week. As she was getting ready to make the walk home, she heard a loud commotion. Uzma went over into the city where she got a front row seat to a horrifying sight. A group of angry looking Muslim men were marching through the streets, waving banners and shouting slogans. Uzma watched in horror as they shouted the worst kinds of things that you could say about Christians. They mocked the sacrifice that Christ had made on the cross for everyone's sins. It was deeply traumatizing, if you were a Christian. Or if you were a decent human being, for that matter. For the first hour, it was simply verbal abuse that was being hurled at the Coptic Christians, but all of that changed when one Christian man out of pure anger spat on a Muslim man.

"Why can't you leave us be?" he shouted as over a hundred angry Islamic eyes turned his way.

"You bastard!" one of the men shouted.

"We'll show him." Another said as they all gathered around the man and began to promptly beat the living crap out of him. Once he was broken, bleeding, and near death, he was asked the question.

"Will you admit that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger?" one man asked as the Christina stared at him through a pair of swollen eyes.

"Never!" he shouted with all his strength as he was beaten to death. After this murder, the mob began attacking Christian businesses and looting them of all their valuables. It was horrible and Uzma had to turn away. She couldn't handle seeing any more. As she quickly made her way home, she began to hear the sounds of Christians being torn from their homes, having horrible slurs being tossed at them from the unkindest of mouths, and being beaten in the streets of Cairo. As Uzma ran to her home, she heard men shouting.

"We will turn out the infidels for the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him!" One man shouted as the others cheered. Uzma had always wondered why Muslims said "peace be upon him" after they invoked the name of Muhammad, but she figured that now was most certainly not the time to be questioning religious customs. Finally, after dodging several angry men, Uzma ran into her house and shut the door. There she found a terrified Suma cowering in the corner.

"Oh Uzma!" Suma cried out as she fiercely held her sister. Uzma held her equally as tight. "I was so afraid that they killed you!" she cried as Uzma stroked her hair and shushed her.

"I'm right here Suma." Uzma assured her scared sister. "I would never leave you and _Ab,_ never." As the horrible sounds outside grew even more horrible and even more louder, The Al-Maleki sisters hunkered down and held each other as they prayed their father would make it home safe. Uzma asked Jesus to watch over him so that he wouldn't become another statistic of Islamic violence against Copts. As the sun fell and the moon rose upon a Cairo in turmoil. Uzma and Suma suddenly heard a knock at the door. They cried and prayed as the knocking grew louder. Suddenly, the door burst open to reveal Basil. The girls cried as they ran up to hug their father.

"Oh _Ab,_ we were so afraid." Uzma said as Basil hugged and kissed both his daughters.

"Don't be afraid my darlings, the Lord is with us." Basil replied as he and Uzma comforted Suma. As they huddled together, they the mob was getting bigger and angrier. "We have to leave." Basil finally said. "If we stay here, we will be trapped."

"But father, it is too dangerous." Suma cried.

"We have to risk it." Basil insisted as they began to gather their things. Once they had packed some clothes and other belongings, the Al-Maleki family left their home. At that moment, Uzma prayed to God that he might guide her family, so that they may not be attacked by those that wished to do them harm. As they ducked into an alleyway, they tried to stay quiet. They had to get out of Cairo. It was no longer safe for them there. As they hid, Suma suddenly jumped in fright. Uzma turned to look and she saw that Hosni had joined them.

"Hosni? What are you doing here?" Uzma whispered.

"My home was raided by police." Hosni said. "The news is that two Muslim women were killed and they're blaming it on the Copts." Uzma's heart sank at the sounds of this news. Now, she knew that the Muslims were out for blood. If a Christian died, it was no big news, but if a Muslim died, it was like the world stopped. Meanwhile, the angry mob grew closer and closer and the anti-Christian chants grew louder and louder.

"We have to run." Suma cried.

"There're too close, they'll catch us." Basil argued. "We just have to stay here and pray that they pass us by." Suddenly, Hosni stood up.

"You all have to run, I'll distract them." He said as Suma tried to stop him.

"You can't, they'll kill you!" She cried as Hosni embraced her.

"Suma, you must go! Promise me that you will run." He demanded as Suma sadly agreed. Hosni dashed out and got the mob's attention.

"JESUS CHRIST IS THE LORD! ALLAH IS NOT GOD!" he shouted as the mob turned on him.

"KILL THE CHRISTIAN!" Some men shouted as the mob went for him. Hosni tried to run, but he was surrounded before he could even move one foot. Suma wanted to help him, but Uzma pulled her along as the family began to run as far as they could from the mob of angry men and women. As they ran, tears streamed down both the girls faces as they knew that their lives would never be the same again.

 **NEXT TIME, THE AL-MALEKIS ARE FORCED TO FLEE EGYPT. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	3. Leviticus

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE**

As they ran away from the violence in Cairo, Uzma and her family were filled with fear. Hosni had surly been killed by the mob and unless they found refuge, they would surly be next.

"There's a Christian village about 10 miles away from here, we should be safe there." Basil replied as they took a rest.

"Do we have to walk all that way _Ab?"_ Suma asked in despair.

"If it means staying alive, I don't think we have any choice in the matter." Uzma replied.

"Your sister is right, it is our only chance, we have to risk it." Basil insisted. After resting for a few minutes, the Al-Malekis began to walk the 10 miles to the Christian village. As they walked, Uzma offered up a prayer to God in her head.

"Dear God, I am so afraid, not for myself but for my father and sister. Please guide us to safety and watch over us. In your son Jesus's name we pray, Amen." Uzma cried to God from her heart as they walked uphill and down. They walked through the Egyptian night as they tried to get to safety. The sisters were shivering, whether they were shivering out of fear or out of just being cold, they did not know. After walking for many hours, they finlly reached the village.

"Praise the Lord." Basil cried as he embraced his daughters. "We're saved." Uzma and Suma cried tears of joy as they made their way through the village limits. As they made their way through the village, they called out to everyone for help. Several people came out of their homes and aided them. One family took them into their house and gave them refreshments. As Basil and his daughters replenished themselves, they recounted the horrors that they had seen in Cairo. The villagers were shocked. news of the Islamic backlash had not reached them as of late, but while some people were fearful that the mobs might come to their homes. Most people were confident that their village was far enough away from Cairo. The family set rungs out on the floor for the Al-Malekis to sleep on until suitable arrangements could be made in the morning. While Basil and Suma soon fell asleep, Uzma could not. Despite her exhaustion, Uzma was far too haunted by the things that she had seen and heard to sleep.

"Why God?" She whispered to the Heavens. "Why would you let your people suffer like this?" Uzma was shaken, and before you get on her for doubting God, she didn't. It's just that, when you live in a place where you are persecuted and can even be kidnapped, raped, and killed just for believing in Jesus Christ...it can be easy to forget that he is always there. Uzma prayed to Jesus that her family was out of danger. She could do little else. All she had to sustain her faith were the words of her Lord.

* * *

The next day, as Uzma and Suma are their breakfast, their father talked with some of the other villagers. They needed a plan. It was quite out of the question, their going back to Cairo. The villagers had heard that the violence had been quelled somewhat, but that the authorities were only stepping in to make sure that no Islamic businesses were attacked by accident. So far, 17 Coptic Christians had been killed and many more had been wounded. The Egyptian president called for calm, but did not condemn the unprovoked attack on a religious minority. It came as no surprise of course, but it was still disappointing. About a week later, when the girls were finally getting settled into their new lives as house guests, Basil Al-Maleki called his two daughters together and said that he needed to have a talk with them.

"My darlings." Basil said. "I have given this a lot of thought and I have decided that it is simply too dangerous to stay here in Egypt with the way things are...so I have decided that we are leaving." Uzma and Suma exchanged looks.

"Where will we go?" Uzma asked nervously.

"We are going to the United States of America. You remember your uncle Marwan in Buffalo, New York?" Basil asked. Marwan had fled Egypt about 5 years earlier after his wife had been killed by a Egyptian police officer. He had asked Basil to come with him, but he refused, believing that things would get better. Clearly, they had not.

"Are we going to stay with Uncle Marwan?" Uzma asked. Basil nodded.

"I wrote to him and explained our situation." He continued. "He has offered to let us stay in his home until we are able to get on our feet."

"But, we've never been to the United States before." Suma said. "Egypt is our home. We can't just leave!" Uzma looked at her sister.

"Suma, i don't want to leave any more than you do, but this isn't up for debate. We have to leave before they kill us, because if we don't leave, they will kill us."

"Listen to your sister." Basil added. "It is only a matter of time before the violence comes here, then we'll have to move to another village, then it will go on and on until there is no where left to run. Most people would literally kill for a chance to go to America. This is our chance to survive. We have to take it."

"Do you think Hosni would want you to die like he did?" Uzma asked as Suma tearfully shook her head.

"We leave next week, so you need to pack your belongings and be ready in case we have to go sooner than that." Basil said as he went outside for a drink. As Uzma comforted her sister, she had to admit that she was nervous about the move as well. She had heard that America was the land of the free and the home of the brave, but were the stories true?"

 **REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	4. Numbers

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE**

Over the next few days, Basil Al-Maleki and his daughters began to pack up their things for the move to America. Uzma tried to ignore the fear and just focus on enjoy the time that she had left in the village. The local villagers had been extremely kind to them and Uzma had managed to make a couple friends. However, the day eventually came when it was time for them to leave.

"Girls!" Basil said, waking them up. "We have to go to the airport." Uzma and Suma slowly got up and began to get their things together. As they got ready to leave, the family bid their neighbors good bye and thanked them for everything they had done for them. After the promise of continued prayer for happiness from both sides, The Al-Maleki family left the village that had given them refuge.

"Father, why do we have to walk?" Uzma asked as Basil turned to his eldest daughter.

"We are going back to Cairo." He replied as both of his children looked at him with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

"We can't go back to Cairo, we'll be killed!" Suma cried.

"We don't have a choice." Basil replied. "It is the nearest airport. We have to go through the city." Uzma was just as afraid as her sister, but she realized that her father was right.

"He's right Suma, we just have to have faith." Uzma stated. "The Lord has taken us this far and he will take us the rest of the way." They walked the 10 miles back to Cairo. When they returned, they found that the violence had calmed down considerably, but they weren't taking any chances. They stopped by their old house and found that it had been looted.

"All of our things have been stolen!" Suma cried as Uzma held her.

"At least we managed to take some of our possessions." Basil commented as he looked over the deserted house. Uzma and Suma said goodbye to their old home and moved on. As the family moved through the city, they found evidence of the unrest that had taken place there not even two weeks ago. Many Coptic Christian businesses were still in disarray. Shards of Broken class littered the streets. They looked like tears that the buildings had shed over the violation they had received by the angry Islamic mobs. The sister almost shed tears themselves as they walked through the city, trying to be as incognito as possible. By the grace of God, they were not attacked and managed to make it to the airport in Cairo. Basil had used what money he had to purchase three passports and tickets to the United States Of America. One for him, and one for each of his daughters. As they boarded the plan, Uzma prayed to the Lord that she may have the strength and the courage to be strong for her father and sister as they needed her to be strong.

* * *

The flight took many hours and the turbulence was quite unpleasant, but after the long and bumpy air voyage, they landed at Buffalo Niagara international airport in New York City. It took him very two hours for Basil and his two daughters go through customs and checking and the like. At long last, though, their passports were stamped and they were allowed entry into the United States. As they left the airport, they found that Marwan was waiting for them.

"Basil!" Marwan shouted as he came over to greet his extended family.

"Marwan, My Brother!" Basil exclaimed in similar fashion as the two brothers embraced each other. "It has been too long."

"It has. Forgive me, I would have come to visit you if...things were better." Marwan replied.

"Well, we are all here and we are all together. That is what matters." Basil said in hopes of changing the subject. As Uzma and Suma embraced their uncle, he was overjoyed to see that his nieces were in one piece.

"You girls have gotten far more beautiful since I last saw you." Marwan replied as he kissed them both.

"Thank the Lord that you are in good health uncle." Uzma replied with joy. Basil loaded all of the luggage into Marwan's car as they all piled in and left the airport. As they drove to Marwan's home in Buffalo, The Al-Maleficient sisters took in all the sights of America. Buffalo was far different from Cairo. The buildings were taller, the clothes were more revealing, everything about the city was a massive culture shock to the two girls who until this moment, had never even set foot outside of their native Egypt in all their lives. Eventually, after a drive of about half an hour, they arrived at the home of Marwan. His home was nice. It was also quite plain looking, but it was nice nonetheless. Basil and Marwan carried the luggage in as Uzma and Suma took a look at the neighborhood. It looked very peaceful and there were kids playing in their front yards and adults gossiping on the sidewalks near their homes.

"I think that it will be very nice here, don't you think?" Suma asked her older sister.

"Certainly, The United States has made a very good first impression thus far." Uzma replied to her younger sister. After they had moved into their uncle's home, the Al-Maleficient family sat down to a hearty supper. Marwan told his brother about all of the amazing opportunities that this country had to offer and informed him that there was a local grocery store in town that was hiring. Uzma and Suma didn't pay very much attention because they were far too busy enjoying the pasta that their uncle Marwan had made. His cooking skills had improved considerably since he moved to America. After dinner, as they all went to bed, Uzma prayed to God, thanking him for bringing them safely to America. She then went to sleep, ready to begin her new life.

 **REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	5. Deuteronomy

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE**

As the Al-Maleki family attempted to settle into their new life in the United States Of America, Basil attempted to find employment. He attempted to apply at several different places, but no one would hire him. Every place in Buffalo was either not hiring, or just not hiring him. His potential employers would never dare say it, but Basil felt that for a few of them, his immigrant status had something to do with it. He quickly learned that anti-immigration sentiment had been stirred up considerably as of late. That didn't matter to Basil though, he need a job desperately so that he could afford a decent home for his family so that he eouldnKt have to be a burden upon his brother Marwan. One day, he finally found employment in the last place that he expected or, as he found out later, wanted. Basil, Uzma, and Suma had been walking through the city looking for any work, even if it was only temporary.

"It's no use, no one will hire me." Basil said as he felt a surge of defeat pass over him.

"You can't give up father, we must have faith." Uzma replied. "Jesus has brought us this far, I can't believe that he would forsake us now." Basil was about to answer when Suma interrupted him.

"Papa, look!" She cried as she pointed out a supermarket with a help wanted sign in the window.

" _Will's Groceries."_ Uzma read as they approached the store. "Maybe you can find work here." She said hopefully. Basil admitted that it was worth a shot as he sent up a prayer to God, asking him to grant him employment as he and the girls went inside.

* * *

The owner of the grocery store was a fellow by the name of William J. Humperdinck. Mr. Humperdinck was a short man with a beer belly and thinning hair. He was only in his 30's, But he looked much older. He only cared one thing and one thing only: money. He was more than willing to sacrifice everyone in pursuit of the almighty dollar. Sadly, Basil would not learn this useful bit of knowledge until after he applied. He and his daughters went into the store and Basil went to his office after filling out an application.

"Uzma, is father meeting with Mr. Humperdinck?" Suma asked as they sat outside Humperdinck's office. Uzma nodded as she motioned for her younger sister to be quiet while she looked through the peephole of the office door.

"So, Basil...Al-Mayek, is it?" Humperdinck asked as Basil stood before his potential boss.

"Um, it's Al-Maleki, sir." Basil replied as he corrected him.

"Sure Whatever, so...what makes you think that I would benefit from hiring you to work at my store?"

"Well...I...i'm a very hard worker sir."

"You're a hard worker? Why, I've never heard that in all my life! How original." Mr. Humperdinck said as he laughed out loud. Basil felt embarrassed, but he hadn't known what else to say to plead his case. He had never worked in a supermarket before, so he couldn't very well claim to have experience in the profession. Basil figured that he ha dorobably blown his last chance of finding a job and was quite forlorn, as anyone in his position would surly be.

"I'm sorry to have taken your time, Mr. Humperdinck." Basil replied as he moved to leave. "I'll see myself out."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Humperdinck quickly said. "I am in need of a new janitor. You know, someone to clean up the messes, That kind of thing. You wouldn't be paid very much, but a job is a job. Just don't be sending all your money back home."

"All of my family is already in this country." Basil pointed out.

"Ah, good." Humperdinck replied as he filed the application that Basil had filled out.

"Um sir, how many other janitors are there?" He asked as Humperdinck stared at him for a moment and then let out a long and loud laugh.

"Oh my, that's rich." Mr. Humperdinck gasped as he caught his breath. "There are no other janitors!" He shouted.

"Oh, I see." Basil replied as Humperdinck calmed himself.

"Look at it this way, you can think of yourself as head janitor."

"Thank you sir."

"Well then, I expect you to report here for work at 6:30 tomorrow morning and not a second later or you shall be back out on the street from whence you came, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Mr. Humperdinck, I will be here." Basil replied.

"Very good, you may see yourself out." He said as Basil left the office. His daughters were on the edge of their seats as their father reappeared.

"What happened father?" Uzma asked as Basil sat down.

"I got the job." Her father answered as he was embraced by both of his daughters.

"So, what's the work like?" Suma asked excitedly. Basil couldn't bare to tell her the truth. She and her sister needed as much hope as he did.

"It seems good. The pay is good and the conditions are fair." He lied.

"And Mr. Humperdinck, what's he like?" Uzma asked as Basil took a deep breath.

"He's...decent. He is a very decent gentleman." Basil said as he spewed out bull crap. "Mr. Humperdinck was so impressed with me, he made me his head janitor." This was not entirely a lie.

"Oh father, that's wonderful." Suma said with glee.

"I'm so happy for you father." Uzma added. She felt that their father wasn't telling his children the entire truth, but she didn't want to crush Suma's hopes, so she went along with her father's story. She prayed that everything her father said was true and that their lives would get better.

 **NEXT TIME, UZMA MAKES TWO NEW FRIENDS AND MAYBE SOMETHING MORE. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	6. Joshua

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE**

As Basil worked at Humperdinck's store, he tried very hard to make enough money to get a place for himself and his daughters. However, he has hardly paid minimum wage, so they were forced to continue to stay at uncle Marwan's. Eventually, the Al-Maleki fell into a routine, Basil and Marwan would go to work at their places of employment and Uzma watch Suma after she got home from school. During the day, Uzma would either accompany her father to the supermarket or she would just work around Marwan's home. She often thought about trying to get a job to help her father out more money in his pocket, but Basil was insistent that she stay home to look after her sister.

"I won't have Suma being home alone." Basil told his eldest daughter the first time she broached the subject of searching for employment. Personally, Uzma felt that her sister was old enough to be home alone for a little while, but she obeyed her father's wishes like a good daughter. Uzma had settled into a comfortable routine: caring for her sister, helping her father and her uncle Marwan. One day, Someone new entered her life. It was on a Saturday and Uzma and Suma were helping their father with his work. Mr. Humperdinck was all right with this seeing as in his mind, he was basically getting free labor out of the girls. That day, Uzma was stocking shelves when she suddenly spotted an extremely handsome man. He had short blonde hair and set of beautiful deep blue eyes. he had sun kissed skin with nice muscles that you could almost see through his shirt. He was wearing a Robin's egg blue polo shirt and a pair of Chino shorts with a pear of white slip on sneakers. On his right wrist he wore a beautiful Rolex, so you could easily tell that he was wealthy. The man was looking over the wines when his eyes met Uzma's. It was if he was a deer in headlights. The man was completely and utterly captivated by her beauty. For a minute, neither he nor Uzma spoke. Suddenly, Mr. Humperdinck came down the aisle and broke the ice.

"Ah,Dickie." He said as he slapped Dickie on the back. "How is my favorite customer today?"

"I'm all right." Dickie replied as he kept his eyes on Uzma.

"Can I interest you in our freshly baked bread in the bakery?" Humperdinck inquired.

"I'm looking for a bottle of Palazzo "Right Bank" red. Nothing more." Dickie insisted as Humperdinck nodded.

"I anticipated that you would." He said as he reached behind the wine bottles and pulled an expensive bottle of Palazzo. "Usually a bottle of such fine wine would cost up to $114, but I offer it to you for $100 even, my fairest price." Dickie looked at the wine and nodded.

"Done." He said as he followed Humperdinck up to the cash register. Dickie paid for the wine with a $100.

"Can you break a hundred dollar bill?" He asked.

"Is that all you have?" Humperdinck asked in return.

"Yeah...a lot of them." The two men laughed as Mr. Humperdinck gave Dickie several twenty dollar bills. As Dickie took his change and bid Mr. Humperdick farewell, he snuck around and bumped into Uzma.

"Oh, i'm sorry." Uzma said. "I didn't see you."

"It's all right." Dickie replied. "I noticed you walking around and thought that I should be a gentleman and introduce myself. I'm Dickie. Dickie Duvendack."

"Uzma. Uzma Al-Maleki." She responded.

"The pleasure is mine." Dickie said as he bent down and kissed her hand. It was a gesture that Uzma was not used to, but she could not help but blush at this man's charm.

"So, what brings you to old Humperdinck's store?" he inquired.

"I'm just helping my father, he works here." Uzma replied.

"Working with your old man too, huh? My dad's teaching me his trade as well."

"What does your father do?"

"He's a diamond salesman. He owns a chain of jewelry stores all over the country."

"Really, that's amazing." Uzma replied. "My father's...the head of shelving for Mr. Humperdinck's store." Uzma remembered what her father had said to make things look better than they were. Uzma hated to lie, but it wasn't a lie if you believed it could happen and she still had hope that God could move Mr. Humperdinck's heart.

"I see, well, your father must be a handsome man to have a gorgeous daughter like you." Dickie remarked. Uzma blushed again, in spite of herself.

"So...how does your father treat you?" Uzma asked, thinking that Dickie must have perks from being the owners son.

"Most likely, he treats me better than I deserve. How does Humperdinck treat your dad?" Dickie asked in turn. Uzma sighed.

"He treats my father as well as he is able." Uzma stated. Dickie nodded. He knew what Humperdinck was like. Even though the man always kissed his ass, he'd seen what Humperdinck thought of people who had less money then him. Dickie looked at his phone and cussed in his head.

"Ah, i'm late." He said as he put his phone back in his pocket. "I got an appointment with the tailor, i'm going to a party in a couple months and I have to get a new suit now before my favorite place becomes booked." Uzma was impressed, but tried not to show it.

"Well, I won't keep you waiting then." She replied.

"I hope that i'll run into you again, miss al-Maleki." Dickie said as he turned around and walked out of Humperdinck's store. Uzma felt butterflies in her stomach, but tried desperately to keep them down.

 **I AM SORRY THAT IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE MY LAST UPDATE. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	7. Judges

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS OF _LAMB OF GOD._ ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE WRITERS. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RACIAL SLURS. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.**

A few days after meeting the incredibly wealthy and incredibly charming Dickie Duvendack, Uzma constantly had him in the back of her mind. Normally, she wouldn't entertain such thoughts about a man she didn't really know, but she just couldn't help herself. Meanwhile, two new people would come into the lives of the Al-Maleki family. It started one day when Uzma was walking through the store. It was a weekend and Suma was hanging out with some friends that she had made. Her older sister however, was at Humperdinck's store. As she was going through the store, she heard someone softly singing to themselves.

 _Oh lamb of God, sweet lamb of God, I love the holy lamb of God, oh wash me in his precious blood, my Jesus Christ, the lamb of God._

As Uzma rounded the corner, she saw an alcove surrounded by books. There was a hefty white man with brown hair and a goatee shelving books. He was dressed in a violet colored suit. As Uzma came up to him, he turned around to face her.

"Oh, i'm sorry. Was I disturbing you?" The man asked as Uzma shook her head.

"No, I was just listening, it's a very beautiful hymn." She replied.

"It is indeed. It's one of my favorites. Are you a Christian?"

"I'm Coptic, and you?"

"Lutheran, actually." The man said as he stuck out his hand. "Allow me to introduce myself: Calvin G. at your service"

"Uzma Al-Maleki." She said as she shook Calvin's hand. "That's a lot of books." Calvin smiled.

"I love books, I'm something of a storyteller myself. I love to read and write." He replied.

"My dad never told me that Mr. Humperdinck sold books at this store." Uzma commented.

"So, your dad's working for ol' Humperdinck, eh." Calvin asked as he shelved more books. Uzma nodded.

"Well, i'm sure he's making more money here then he did back in Cairo." Calvin replied.

"How did you know that we were from Cairo?" Uzma asked.

"Let's just say that I had a hunch." Calvin smiled as he shelved. "I also saw that you were exchanging words with Dickie Duvendack. He's a very eligible bachelor." Uzma blushed.

"He seems nice...and he is certainly handsome." She replied.

"He is indeed. Do you fancy him?" Uzma blushed harder.

"I barely know that man." She insisted.

"Well, it is clear that he fancies you." Calvin insisted in return. "I tell you what, if you want to impress him, listen to some jazz."

"Jazz?" Uzma asked.

"Yeah, he absolutely loves jazz." Calvin assured her. "Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, all the greats, he's constantly listening to jazz. He even plays the saxophone."

"He has many talents." Uzma thought out loud.

"He does indeed, if he asks you out, you should go. Dickie may be a playboy, but deep down, he's got a good heart." Calvin advised.

"I'll think about it." Uzma replied. "It was nice to met you Calvin." Calvin nodded as Uzma left the stranger to his stories.

* * *

As Uzma returned to the main store, she saw that her father was being cussed at by a middle aged man who looked mean and ugly.

"Come on towelhead, I don't have all day. I asked for one lousy bottle of salad dressing." the man said as Basil was reaching for it on the top shelf.

"You don't have to be rude." Uzma said as she approached.

"Hurry up camel jockey, I've a busy man with places to be." the man said as he turned to Uzma. "This is personal business, you stay out of it."

"That is my father, so no, I will not stay out of it." Uzma insisted.

"Uzma please." Basil said as he finally reached the dressing and handed it to the man.

"You better listen to your father, rag-head." He retorted. "Muslims..."

"We're not even Muslims, we're Copts, and if we were Muslims, that term would be very offensive. What is your problem?"

"The problem is that you people think that you can just come into our country, take our jobs, and blow us up." The man shouted. I know what I'm talking about because I'm Rich Shapinsky, I'm an immigration officer and it is my job to keep your kind out of this country."

"We're just trying to live in peace the same as you, you don't have to be cruel." Basil replied.

"What do you know, Osama lover?" Shapinsky said as he stormed off. "Sheesh, Humperdinck should have hired Americans." Uzma was distraught as Basil tried to comfort his daughter.

"Shh, my daughter, it is all right." Basil said as he stroked her hair.

"I do not understand father, how can people be so cruel?" Uzma sobbed. "We are just as good as he is. We are human beings and yet he thinks that he is better than us."

"It is not right Uzma, but sadly, there are many people who think the way that man does in the world." Basil replied. "The important thing is that when people are as cruel as that man is, that is when we need to remember how much God loves us." Uzma wiped her tears away as she smiled.

"Yes father." She said. She knew that God loved her for who she was and the love of her savior was something that no one, not even a hateful bigot like Rich Shapinsky could take away. She would not let that man make her feel inferior. God's love belonged to her and to anyone who wanted it badly enough.

 **I MADE A CAMEO IN MY OWN FANFIC, LOL. NEXT TIME, WE SEE UZMA AND DICKIE GET CLOSER. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	8. Ruth

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE. THE LAST CHAPTER STIRRED UP MORE CONTROVERSY THEN I WOULD HAVE LIKED, BUT I THINK THIS STORY HAS MERIT AND I WON'T LET PEOPLE TURN THIS INTO A POLITICAL THING. ALSO, IN REGARDS TO REVIEWS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM A GUEST, IF MY STORY OFFENDS YOU, DO NOT READ AND ESPECIALLY DO NOT REVIEW, TAKE YOUR NEGATIVITY ELSE WHERE.**

After their run in with Rich Shapinsky, the immigration officer, Uzma and the family tried to forget about him. Thankfully, Uzma was able to do this because Dickie Duvendack was coming around Humperdinck's store more often. He and Uzma would often walk around the store and have conversations that seemed to go on for hours. As Dickie talked about his extravagant lifestyle, Uzma felt like his eyes were two crystal pools of blue and she just wanted to jump right into them. Taking Calvin's advice, Uzma had began listening to jazz music in her spare time. She had even found some Christian hymns that were played in jazz style on _YouTube._ Uzma had never really used a computer before, but after Calvin had showed her the ropes, she could handle herself just fine. Dickie in turn, was beginning to crush on hard on Uzma; which, if you knew him well, would seem absolutely bizarre. Dickie had a reputation for being quite the playboy. He hardly ever had a relationship that became serious. However, with Uzma, he didn't see her as just another conquest, like he did with all his other girls. He actually seemed interested in getting to know her as a person. Eventually, Dickie decided that he was going to take Uzma out on a proper date. The only issue is that it never seemed like the right time, she was always busy with family matters and he was always busy with his circle of friends that he never got a chance to set something up. It was eating away at him. He wanted Uzma so badly and he was determined to have her.

* * *

One day, the opportunity finally come for Dickie to make his move. He and Uzma were walking through the gardening section of Humperdinck's store and Uzma seemed to just fit right in with all of the beautiful flowers.

"So Uzma, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you." Dickie said as they strolled.

"And what would that be?" Uzma inquired.

"You said that you forgave that racist Shapinsky guy who was calling you and your dad all those horrible names. I mean, how can you. How do you just forgive a creep like him?"

"Jesus." Uzma replied.

"Jesus?" Dickie asked in disbelief.

"Yes, He brings so much love into my life that I don't have to hate. When you hate someone, when you hold onto that anger, you're just hurting yourself really." Dickie was blown away by this.

"That's...an interesting way to look at it." He stuttered. "To tell you the truth, I never really thought much about God. Growing up, going to church on Sunday was just the once a week, check in the box." Uzma nodded.

"Maybe you should try looking at it in a different way." Uzma offered.

"Yeah, maybe..." Dickie replied as Calvin came around with a stack of vinal records.

"Uzma, glad I caught you. I found the records that you wanted to listen to." He said as he shot her a wink. As Dickie looked at the records, his eyes lit up.

"Hey. You like jazz!" Dickie exclaimed.

"I love jazz." Uzma said, which wasn't exactly a lie. She had started to appreciate jazz music.

"This is the best." Dickie said as he shuffled through the pile. "Baker, Rollins. Especially Bird."

"Bird, he's got some really good tunes." Uzma replied.

"Okay, we're going to Manhattan!" Dickie shouted. "There's a club... It's not a club, it's a palace. It's great. Have you ever heard of _Birdland?"_

"No, I haven't. What's _Birdland?"_

"It's to jazz what _Wimbledon_ is to tennis. All the greats have played there. Every jazz players dream is to play at _Birdland._ It's... It's great. You're gonna love it."

"I don't know if my father would let me travel all the way to New York City, especially with a man who's not a relative." Uzma explained. All middle Eastern families, whether they be Islamic families or Christian families, had a reputation for being very protective of their daughters.

"It's nothing to be concerned about. I'm taking you to New York City for a hook up. It's just two jazz enthusiasts going to enjoy some wonderful music." Dickie insisted. While Uzma believed his intentions, she just wasn't sure that her father would approve of it.

"Come on Uzma, what do you have to lose?" Calvin asked.

"If it makes you feel better, you can tell your father that we're meeting a friend of mine. He lives in Soho and he's been begging me to come for a visit and now, I can kill two birds with one stone."

"Dickie..." Uzma said as her walls were breaking down.

"Please Uzma, don't make me beg." Dickie said as he pretended to get on his knees and beg. Finally, Uzma could take it no longer.

"All right Dickie, i'll talk to my father to see if I can go with you." She agreed. Dickie swept her up in a hug.

"Yes!" Dickie exclaimed. "Trust me, you will not regret this. It is going to be amazing." Uzma couldn't help but smile. If Dickie had been looking closely, he would have seen that her face was blushing a deep shade of red.

 **NEXT TIME, UZMA AND DICKIE HEAD FOR AN EXCITING TRIP TO THE BIG APPLE. WILL THEIR TIME IN NEW YORK CITY BE SPENT AS JUST FRIENDS OR WILL THEIR FRIENDSHIP BLOSSOM INTO SOMETHING MORE. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	9. Samuel I

**I DON'T OWN THE BIBLE.**

It took several hours of explaining and pleading, but eventually Basil agreed to allow his daughter to accompany Dickie to New York City. Basil and Uzma discussed the matter over dinner one evening. At first, her father had been opposed to the idea, but eventually he gave in.

"You barely know this man." Basil argued.

"We have been talking and he is a very kind man." Uzma argued in return as they ate. Suma decided to stay out of the matter altogether. Basil and Uzma discussed the matter back and forth throughout dinner and finally the eldest Al-Maliki daughter made some headway.

"He said that a friend of his will be there with you yes?" Basil asked as Uzma cleaned up after dinner.

"Yes papa." Uzma replied.

"Good, I won't have you two unaccompanied." Uzma was excited, she had never been to New York City before and she hadn't heard so much about it. She was even more excited to go with Dickie. It wasn't easy to describe her feelings towards him. She wasn't in love with him, not yet anyway. Uzma had to admit that she was nervous, but she knew that she could resist temptation.

* * *

A few days later, Dickie picked Uzma up and they both went to the airport. Uzma was enthralled. She had been on a plane when she and her family had fled Egypt, but they had not nearly enough money to travel in first class. Throughout the entire flight, Uzma and Dickie talked incessantly about all the amazing sights and experiences that the city had to offer.

"You've got to get a wardrobe change. Really, you must be sick of wearing the same clothes." Dickie asked as Uzma sighed.

"I can't. We can't keep spending your father's money on me." Uzma pointed out. That got a huge laugh from Dickie.

"I love how responsible you are. My dad should make you chief accountant." Dickie said as Uzma laughed. "Or when I take over the family business, which is never, I will."

"Okay. When you take over, which is never, I'll do it." Uzma replied.

"Let me buy you a dress. When we get to the city, there's a great place called _Barney's._ They have the nicest clothes and the highest price tags." Dickie demanded as he began to sing in a silly fashion. " _New_ _York_ , _we're_ _taking_ _Uzma_ _to_ _New_ _York_ , _We're_ _going_ _to_ _a_ _New_ _York."_ Uzma giggled loudly at this display.

* * *

Eventually, Dickie and Uzma landed at JFK international airport in Queens. When they arrived, a limo was waiting for them. As they rode, Uzma was looking with amazement at the giant city. The buildings reached up to the sky and the entire city reeked of luxury. Dickie had the limo driver drop them off at a fancy cafe where he ordered danishes and coffee. Uzma enjoyed the sweet pastries as Dickie told her about all of the amazing things to do in the Big apple.

"Oh my,what should we do first?" Uzma asked in excitement.

"Relax!" Dickie said chuckling.

"It's just there's so much to do in two days."

"The most important question is where to eat lunch." Dickie insisted. "I hope Teddy made a reservation." Uzma ears perked up.

"Teddy?" She inquired. She hadn't heard of this man yet.

"Teddy. Teddy Tackleton. Remember, I told your father that we wouldn't be alone. " Dickie explained. "Teddy's a old friend from my prestigious Catholic boarding school days. His family's cornered the market on the fishing business. They make really great speedboats that are both fast and comfortable. They also deal in fishing equipment."

"Are all of your friends as rich as you are?" Uzma asked as Dickie laughed.

"Most of them." He replied. "Teddy's organizing a skiing trip in Colorado after Thanksgiving. I told him to meet us here." Dickie suddenly heard a horn and saw a blue coupe coming their way. "Oh. Oh, here he is." They watched as a hefty built man with carrot red hair in a tan suit got out of the coupe and made his way towards them.

"Tederico!" Dickie called out.

"Dickie!" Teddy called in return as he crossed the street and noticed a attractive looking woman. "Oh, God, don't you want to kiss every woman you see just once?"

"You never change, do you?" Dickie laughed.

"Who me? Never." Teddy assured his friend as they embraced.

"Uzma, this is Theodore "Teddy" Tackleton." Dickie introduced. "Teddy, this is the amazing Uzma Al-Maleki." Teddy kissed Uzma's hand in gentlemanly fashion.

"You're selling this girl short, Dickie. You said she was pretty but, you look gorgeous." He insisted as Uzma blushed.

"Thank you, Mr. Tackleton.

"Please, you gotta call me Teddy. Everyone in the city, the cab drivers, the restaurant owners, even the help, they all call me Teddy. Just don't call me late for dinner." Teddy joked as this earned a laugh.

"Speaking of which, did you make reservations?" Dickie asked.

"I got us a table outside at _Amelie_. I'm telling you Uzma, the cuisine is outstanding." Teddy replied. "Come on, we can take my coupe, i've been dying to take it for a spin."

"I'm so cabin-crazy with Buffalo." Dickie said as they rode in the coupe.

"I know, I was there." Teddy replied as he drove. When they arrived, the three were led to a nice table on the balcony. After she thanked the Lord for the exquisite meal, to the surprise of her companions, Uzma was delighted to learn that she enjoyed the French cuisine very much. As the evening progressed, Uzma learned that Teddy had a reputation for his sense of humor. He told her several of the funniest stories he knew and by the end of the meal, Uzma felt as if her diaphram was bruised from laughing so hard. Thus, her first night in New York City came to an end.

 **REVIEWS NEEDED.**


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